Levitas
by ZCaptcha
Summary: He rode into the dark as her avenger, into the fierce storm and clashed iron with a monster. As the night came to a close, he had to choose for her, salvation or damnation?
1. Levitas

_Note: Okay, renamed again etc. Idea is still the same, I have a companion piece in the works._

* * *

Levitas

The night was obscured with dark clouds that poured a heavy rain upon the land. The ground had turned to mush beneath their feet as they fought, weapons sparking with every clash. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by the roar of thunder. Tonight would provide one outcome to each warrior, life or death.

The first of the two, a young noble named Troy Matthias with angry piercing, green eyes and golden hair. Held in his hands was Levitas, passed to each head of the Matthias clan: a sword forged in the old ways, its translation meaning "lightning". Rainwater had made the handle slick but fierce determination would ensure a firm grip on the weapon. He wore a full suit of steel armor, with a blood red cloak bearing the family crest of an eagle.

The other, Antony Dovall with his dark appearance and crimson eyes returned the angry stare of Troy Matthias. Clenched in his hand was the mace Black Rock, and in his other the Black Aegis and both items contained magic properties. His armor was tinted black, but in the lightning flash the outline of a crest bearing a wolf could be seen in the breastplate: the symbol of the Dovall clan.

Both were friends growing up, as would be typical of friendly clans but their friendship always had run as who was the superior. Especially when the beauty of Helena was made known to them it had come down to which young man could win her heart, and when the dice were thrown Troy won the roll. None of that mattered now however, what was done was done. A monster had come to roost in his old friend that destroyed the life Troy built for Helena and him.

* * *

The day was closing, but already it could be seen that the night would be dreary as the signs of storm began rolling in. Troy Matthias, as head of his estate ordered the hands and animals inside in anticipation of the hard night. Lord Matthias however did mind, on his thoughts sat his wife Helena. She felt ill and had opted to remain bed ridden for most of the day.

Quietly he opened the chamber door, not wanting to disturb his beloved. However fate would have no peace this night as evil had breached the walls of the Matthias Estate.

"ANTONY!" Troy bellowed.

His friend turned enemy looked up, eyes glowing an eerie crimson. Fresh blood coated his lips…Helena's blood. Troy roared his name again and yanked Levitas from its sheath. Charging Antony, the fiend tossed Helena aside her head striking the stone floor. Smiling, Antony darted out of the window into the night. Hanging out the window, Antony's dark cackle rang in his ears as the monster ran into the wood line.

He fell by Helena's side, feeling for the pulse in her throat. He tore off a glove, attempting to feel the warmth of breath. In a final desperate attempt he pressed his ear against her chest for the beat of her heart. Troy Matthias found none.

"By the Gods, my beautiful, my beloved...Helena," he whispered as he scooped her up in his arms, the heat rose in his face.

She hung limply in his arms, her dark hair hanging unbound. The bright sapphires of her eyes were now dead. Troy burst out sobbing over her corpse. He clutched her head to his cheek. Suddenly, he threw his head back and unleashed a loud, anguished wail that found itself drowned out by the first clap of thunder followed by the heavy rain that pounded on the windows of his bed chamber.

Shakily, Troy laid his wife to rest in their bed giving her but one last kiss. He would have preparations made for her burial later, but right now, his duties as a husband came first. Antony would suffer, paying in blood and ultimately the twisted incarnation he now called life.

In half an hour's time Lord Matthias was dressed for battle and mounted securely on his white steed, Boethia. His servants begged him not to throw his life away, Troy only snarled at them to ready his gear. No one knew better than he that his life may very well end tonight. His heart held one wound this night, and before it would end he would have two. Vampires were dangerous creatures, but that would not detour Troy from trying to avenge his fallen light.

Mud flew as Boethia pounded towards the gate of the Matthias Estate. Troy rode atop her, hair flying in the wind and a violent gleam in his eyes. He had only made a little under a mile before lightning struck and in the middle of the road appeared Antony. Troy was too close to stop his horse, and in that instant Antony had crushed Boethia's skull with his mace. Boethia slid forward in the mud, tossing her rider forward onto his back. The rain was coming down harder and louder, but over it he could hear Antony laughing.

"My dear lad, it is such terrible weather this fine night. Why would one venture forth so?" the Vampire questioned in a mocking tone.

Muddied, but angered Troy stood and drew his sword. The blade glowed faintly with mystic force.

"How dare you mock me bastard," Troy snarled before charging.

Falling to one knee, Troy used the mud to slide forward with an upward swing. Antony blocked with his shield, while the Black Aegis did somewhat protect its user from magic it could only defend him from so much of it. The charge stung, and he stumbled back but he regained his footing and unleashed ice magic upon Troy. Countering with a spell deflection Troy attacked again, this time instead of meeting the Black Aegis, he met the Black Rock. Sword against mace, the resulting mix of enchantments made a concussive force that drove them apart.

Troy already showed some slight strain fighting. The muddied warriors stood again. In the back of his mind, Troy knew going head to head with the Vampire was suicide because soon he would tire and at that moment Antony would claim his life.

"You should have known better than to take her from me, Troy!" Antony roared.

"Helena should have been with me! Instead you forced me into another contest of fools!"

"Did she have to die for her choice?!" Troy cried angrily as they ran at each other, "She fell in love with me! As my friend you could have respected that!"

As they swung, all the fears gnawing at Troy vanished. All that mattered was his revenge. Sword met shield again, only this time the Vampire had braced for the small charge that would sneak past his defenses and then swung with his mace connecting with Troy's shoulder.

Troy sunk to his knees under the blow, but drove his blade into a plate seam in Antony's armor. Howling, Antony dropped his own weapons and stepped back. Painfully, he pulled on the sword handle. It had punctured a few organs, hardly a concern for the undead but the magic was coursing through his gut. He pulled the blade from his body and held it in his hand. Troy had taken the borrowed moments to cast a small healing spell on his self and swipe the Black Stone from its place in the mud.

Antony bared his fangs with a feral hiss and attacked, leaping up into the air. Swinging downward with Troy's own sword and missing as Troy rolled to the side. Troy charged a fireball as he rose to fight. Antony had brought up the strongest shield he knew but he did not go unscathed. Half his face sported an unpleasant burn. His eyes were even more wild and fierce than before out of fury of it all.

"I curse your house, and all that you love mortal," Antony declared, throwing Levitas at its master.

Troy smacked his heirloom to the side with Antony's mace and then stooped to retrieve it quickly. His eyes had left Antony for only a second but he found that the Vampire had disappeared. His eyes clouded over as a life seeking spell poured into his vision. The white wispy outline that would be Antony appeared before his eyes with a fist. It was a hard uppercut that put Troy on his back. Momentarily stunned, he dropped his weapons and Antony happily took hold of his mace.

"May you find your other in hell!" he proclaimed as he brought Black Rock down for a final, skull crushing swing.

How dare he speak of Helena in that foul world! She was nothing but pure innocence! That was all it took for Troy to look up and see the incoming mace, he threw his arms up to block and took the force. It was near numbing, but Troy would never let that stop him. The mace still sat nestled on his crossed arms. Troy pushed up flinging Antony's arm back towards him. Recoiling to retain his balance Antony attacked again. Troy's feet slid in the mud as the force from the mace blow shoved him over to the side. Reaching out Troy grabbed a hold of Antony's face, and unleashed the most powerful fire spell he could muster.

The Vampire shrieked and dropped his mace to wrench Troy's hands from his face. It was too late, the damage had been done. Antony would be blinded until his body regenerated, and that would take a few hours. With the storm having grown worse overhead, Troy looked for any sign of Levitas while Antony bellowed in his pain.

There!

He saw the glint of its edge in a flash of lightning. Troy dived for it before he lost it again. The thunder roared overhead as he stood up again, mud caked and worked its way into every seam of his armor. Antony had sunk to his knees, clutching his burned face or more specifically his damaged eyes. The Vampire felt around, trying to find his mace but to no avail. Snarling he warped the shadows around him, attempting to make an escape.

"Trickery will not save you, bastard!" declared Troy.

Mustering up enough strength, he swung the sword. The rewarding sound of Antony's head dropping in the mud met his ears. The Vampire's body fell to its knees and jerked, before it too became still.

Troy was now alone in the night, with a storm roaring overhead. He finally realized how cold it was out, and the rain did not help. He had just put his former friend to rest, and avenged his wife. However pain was still there, and would never go away. Tears ran down his cheeks again as he sheathed his sword, and turned for what he hoped was the direction of home.

* * *

Late in the night, after the storm had passed the servants of the Matthias house heard the great double doors to the home burst open. In stormed Lord Matthias looking worse for the wear, all his healing spells could only do so much. His was covered in a layer of mud, some of which sported spots of blood. Troy clutched his shoulder as he made his way up the stairs. He desired to see his late wife.

"Do not disturb me!" he barked angrily as he ascended that stairs.

He approached the door to his bedroom, breathing heavily from the strain he was putting on himself. The door swung open with ease and he entered, closing it behind him. His armor hit the floor noisily, in fact, so noisily it woke Helena.

"Troy!" she cried.

Troy now stripped bare of his armor and weapon stopped, frozen in absolute shock. His wife was sitting up on the bed as though nothing had happened. A gift from the Gods…no, false hope as he came to stare into her eyes. He could see the change, the hunger. Her bright, sapphires had turned crimson. His wife was no longer human. She was one with the night, a monster. Antony's cursed repeated itself over in his mind: curse his house and all that he loved.

"You're absolutely filthy," she noted as she approached him timidly.

"Have I not suffered enough?" Troy whispered to himself.

"What is wrong love?" she inquired, crimson orbs searching his green.

Tears slid down his mud smeared cheeks as he forced himself to bend down and grasp the sheath of his weapon.

"Troy? Troy! What's wrong?"

Would he really have the heart to do this, because she was now darkness eternal? The sword slid out of its sheath. Blood still adorned the blade as he held it to observe his reflection. The sight in the metal of the blade was…a broken man.

"Helena, I witnessed you die once this night love…" he choked, "Antony no longer lives for his sin. I fear now, I must sin as well…" he announced as he stepped forward, tears sliding slowly from his eyes once more as he raised his sword…

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_Note: It'll be a few days, I'm having trouble deciding what I want to do with it._


	2. Companion

_Companion to Levitas_

_ZCaptcha_

* * *

Darkness protected them, hiding his weakness and his sin. When she stood before him, even with the hunger he found himself incapable of resisting. The blade clattered loudly, signaling his surrender.

He flung himself forward and took hold of her, crushing his lips to hers. Lying on his back now with his arm around her shoulders, he struggled with himself. She was one of the damned now, what they had done was immoral. They were an abomination to humanity everywhere, but he could not help when he looked down to her sleeping form but to think it felt like his so it must be his.

He traced the punctures in his chest from where she had bit him during their passion, changed and starving. It hurt…at first. She only took some, disgusted at what she was doing. Disgust, she had shown disgust. That was a human feeling, but how long would she keep those now that she was the dark. How long before instinct would compel her to slaughter and feed to survive, how long before he lost her to the void?

She stirred under his arm, shifting her head and continued to sleep.

He realized that the sun was peeking over the horizon, soon it would be day. He slid out of bed as he made to close all the curtains to the chamber, determined to keep out the daylight. The candles still lit kept the room faintly bright, he turned and saw her sitting up with the blankets drawn up. The look in her eyes said it all: what now?

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck before lying back on the bed. She lay over him, brushing his hair with her hand. He did not know, she did not know. No doubt she was bothered with her new condition as was he. Perhaps he was more bothered than she was, but to her she still felt like herself. She reviled the taste of his blood, despite the pounding in her head fading away after sating the thirst. He sat up on his elbows and kissed her for the hundredth time that night.

"I will make this work," his voice pierced the silence.

She smiled, cupping his cheek while tears streamed down hers.

"No, you won't,"

"I will, I swear it on the house of Matthias!"

"You mustn't say such things Troy,"

"You are still you! You still know who you are!" he growled as he forced his way out from under her.

He paced beside the bed a few moments in anger because inside he knew she was right. How long could he keep her like this before someone noticed? What if she were to become maddened like Antony, and run rampant? He would rather remember as she was than a crazed monster.

She rose up off the bed coming to stand behind him, encircling her arms around Troy. She knew what she wanted, and yes she was frightened of it but she would prefer it over eternity as a demon. Her presence was his only comfort in this moment.

"Then you want to die?"

The question hung in the air for moments. Eventually came her weak reply.

"…yes,"

He turned to face her, his eyes staring deep into hers.

"Don't leave me," he begged.

"Then you damn me," she answered.

He began to cry again as he rested his forehead against hers. No matter how he tried, she would not budge from her decision. Helena was final.

"I want to see the sun one last time with you," she whispered in his ear.

"Yes my beloved," he nodded.

He could have choked on those words.

They held hands as they approached the curtain together and he opened it. The sun was higher now, in moments its light would take her from him and he would be left alone. Troy held her close. Fearful of what was to come.

As the colors on the horizon began to change, he could hear her gasp. As he looked upon her he saw her flesh begin to smoke. Her eyes lined with tears as she gazed into his. Troy knew then this would be their last moment as he closed his eyes and leaned down to kiss her.

Slowly he felt her fade away as he felt the heat from the morning rays rise, and when he opened his eyes again traces of ash marked his skin. The rest gathered at his feet and so that was all that remained of his Helena.

He sat down on the cold stone, silent tears streaming down his face.


End file.
